I had a perfect teaching day last week. Say what? Yup - you heard me - a perfect teaching day. I’m pretty sure I’ve NEVER said this before. More often than not, I feel defeated by the high demands and long to-do list that pull and tug at me throughout the day. But on Wednesday of last week, I went home and actually said OUT LOUD that I’d had a perfect day.
Let me define what I mean by perfect, knowing full well there is no such thing. It was a day where my vision of how I'd like things to go was in alignment with the reality of what was. You know that picture you see in your mind over the summer as you are getting ready for the school year and you imagine the possibility of what could be. The one where you and the children dance through the day in seamless harmony. The one that often fades by lunch on the first day of school.
So because this comes along, like never, I began thinking about what made it so “perfect.” I hadn’t tried anything new or groundbreaking, half my class was not out with the flu, nor was there any cosmic alignment of any sort (not that I knew of anyway). In fact, I could quickly rule out all extrinsic factors as the day ran pretty much like the others in terms of routines and lessons. And as for the children, they were the same adorable little beings I had left on Tuesday. So that left only me. What was different about me as I walked through that door on Wednesday morning?
So because this comes along, like never, I began thinking about what made it so “perfect.” I hadn’t tried anything new or groundbreaking, half my class was not out with the flu, nor was there any cosmic alignment of any sort (not that I knew of anyway). In fact, I could quickly rule out all extrinsic factors as the day ran pretty much like the others in terms of routines and lessons. And as for the children, they were the same adorable little beings I had left on Tuesday. So that left only me. What was different about me as I walked through that door on Wednesday morning?
My guess is that I can sum it up in three words - Happy Teacher List! You see, many years ago I read a parenting book (see below) that suggested mothers create a “Happy Mommy List” to help them get clear about what they needed so they could then in turn care for others.
You can find this book here:
While I have never actually made a “Happy Teacher List,” the whole “put on your life mask first” concept has always stayed with me and I’d venture to guess that on that “perfect day” my Happy Teacher List was in check. It was November. Halloween and parent conferences had just ended. Life had settled down a bit. The day felt lighter, I felt centered, and I was able to be completely present with the children. There was an energy between us that just felt right and if I was looking for data to support this, I could measure it by the increase in knee hugs that I received on that day.
Oftentimes, teachers want to blame student behavior on a full moon or all the Halloween candy they ate the day before. But I really think it has a lot more to do with us than we want to admit (like maybe all the Halloween candy that I ate the day before!). It’s about stepping back and asking ourselves, “What’s really going on here?” It’s about taking our own temperatures to see if our needs are being met.
Oftentimes, teachers want to blame student behavior on a full moon or all the Halloween candy they ate the day before. But I really think it has a lot more to do with us than we want to admit (like maybe all the Halloween candy that I ate the day before!). It’s about stepping back and asking ourselves, “What’s really going on here?” It’s about taking our own temperatures to see if our needs are being met.
So in my attempt to capture, bottle, and reenact this “perfect day,” I got curious about what would actually be on that Happy Teacher list if it were written down. Here's what I came up with.
When I look at it, it seems so simple. Yet, there's that OTHER list, you know the one, with the big "TO DO" at the top that competes with it for the 10:00 bedtime. But now that it's written down I'm going to find a prominent place for it and give it a voice.
What's on your list? What are your teacher life must-do's?
Thanks for stopping by!
Jackie
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